The former Power Minister and current Pru East MP, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, has expressed his belief that the Auditor General (AG) does not have the authority to audit companies, including public companies like the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

In a recent report by the Auditor-General, it was revealed that there were significant procurement breaches amounting to over $145 million involving ECG.

These breaches occurred during the period from 2016 to 2021 and were related to the signing of 50 contracts for the procurement of 862,750 meters and their accessories.

According to the Auditor-General's report, ECG's failure to adhere to the Public Procurement Act resulted in a lack of consideration for value for money, competitiveness, and transparency in the procurement process.

However, Dr. Kwabena Donkor disagrees with the audit and argues that the Auditor General should not have the power to audit companies.

“I have stated it publicly and I brought the Attorney General to Parliament and he reechoed that, the Auditor General has no power to audit companies. The law does not give him that power,” he said.

He contends that the law does not grant the Auditor General the authority to conduct audits of commercial entities like ECG, especially if they are set up to operate commercially.

In his view, once these companies are established to function as ordinary private commercial entities, they should be allowed to operate without being subject to public auditing restrictions.

It's important to note that this is a difference in interpretation and opinion on the scope of the Auditor General's authority, and it may be subject to further legal or administrative clarification in Ghana's governance system.